Waning Crescent
by Faythren
Summary: Set during book 4. Late one night, when Mahiru is on her way home to her aunt's house, Dawn's Venus finds her, alone and vulnerable, no Lunar Race watching over her to stop them from kidnapping her. Will Dawn's Venus succeed in using her as the perfect bait, or will Mitsuru man up, come to terms with his feelings, and become her white knight? MxM some AxK too
1. Chapter 1

I love to write, but I have never written a fanfiction before. This one will be my first, so I'm not sure how well this will turn out. Please regard me kindly!

Anyway, on to the story.

CHAPTER ONE

It's been three days since Mahiru left the Moonshine bar. Since she left the only people in the world she _believed_ could fully understand her. And yet, after all the time they spent together, laughed together, lived together, they do not seem to understand her at all. Mahiru sits on the edge of the marina, her secret place, the smell of salt water and fish hanging heavy in the air. Everything seems peaceful as she watches dozens of sea gulls flying in the sky competing with the fishermen for their dinner, but even the loud squawking of the birds cannot drown out Mahiru's chaotic thoughts. Over and over again, the conversation Mahiru accidentally overheard between Misoka and Nozomu echoes in her ears:

"_I'm almost positive that the girl is somehow connected to Dawn's Venus. We cannot allow her any further contact with the princess."_

"_You've been thinking that Mahiru was leaking information all this time, haven't you?"_

"_It pains me to say this, but…we cannot trust the princess right now."_

Mahiru shakes her head in frustration. _I never leaked information,_ she thinks to herself. _ I would never do something that would harm any of them, or the Lunar Race. I just…,_ she wipes her wet cheeks with her sleeve, _I don't want there to be any more fighting, anymore killing, and I wanted to protect Himura. She doesn't want a war between the Lunar and Human races either. I just know it! _

Sighing, she looks out over the water again. The fishing boats are beginning to come back in for the day. The sun has already begun to set, casting orange streaks across the blue-green water. _Blue-green…The color almost reminds me of his hair….I wonder if he has gone back to the Moonshine yet?_ Mahiru sighs again and starts heading towards home, trying her best to push all thoughts of Mitsuru out of her head.

The further down the street Mahiru walks, the more uneasy she feels. As darkness descends, the streetlamps seem too feeble to keep the encroaching shadows at bay that hide who knows what. The streets are empty of people, the shops on either side of the road having long since closed their doors for the last time tonight. Normally it wouldn't have bothered her to be out this late. Normally she could feel a set of comforting eyes watching over her, but she cannot feel their presence now. She doesn't even have Mr. Bat with her.

The sound of shoes tapping against concrete coming from a couple of meters behind her causes Mahiru to jump. _It's nobody. Just someone going their own way, not caring about me at all. _Not believing herself, her heart beats faster, and she tries to keep her legs going at a steady pace even though it feels like they are turning into jelly. The tapping gets louder as the person gains on Mahiru and she starts to walk faster. The person starts walking faster too. Mahiru turns the corner at the end of the block hoping the person will keep going straight, but whoever it is behind her turns the corner too. Her brisk walk turns into a jog. The person jogs behind her. _Nononononono…_.

Mahiru chances a glance behind her to get a look at her stalker and almost trips over her own two feet. It's a man in his twenties, if she had to guess, with long blond hair, and a headband around his forehead. She recognizes him as Mutsura from Dawn's Venus. Mahiru's feet take off in a run without a second thought. A wicked smile grows on Mutsura's face as he begins to run after her.

She doesn't know where she's going. She doesn't really care. As long as she gets away. Dawn's Venus, they think she's one of the Lunar Race, a "monster." If she told them that she is human, that she is the descendant of the Minister of the Left's princess, helping the Lunar Race out of her own free will, would they even believe her? Would they listen to her if she tried to reason with them, tried to convince them to stop this senseless war? What would they do if they caught her? Would they simply kill her? Use her to get to the others? _No_, she says to herself with determination, _whatever happens, no matter what they do to me, I'm not going to let them get to the others._ Mahiru rounds another corner and almost cries with relief. A car is driving down the road coming towards her.

"Help!" she calls out as she runs out into the middle of the street, waving her arms frantically so the driver will notice her. "Please, help me!"

The car slows down and comes to a stop a few feet in front of a panting Mahiru, bent over with her hands on her knees for support. The driver gets out, a man, but his face is obscured by the blinding headlights shining in Mahiru's eyes. "Well, well," he says, his cold voice strangely familiar to her. "Look at what we have here."

"Oh, no, not you," she moans as the man steps in front of the light, casting Mahiru in shadow, giving her a clear view of Hokuto Koudokui, leader of Dawn's Venus.

"Oh, yes, little monster," Mutsura says from behind her. Before she can turn he grabs her wrists and violently yanks them behind her back. She cries out in pain. Mahiru hears a loud tearing noise and then something sticky is wrapped around her wrists. Duct tape.

"Please, don't do this," Mahiru begs. "All this fighting, all this hatred, it isn't the answer!"

Hokuto grabs Mahiru's short blonde hair and forces her to look at him, bending his head down so his face is just inches in front of hers. The only emotion he shows is in his bitter, dark eyes: pure malice. "Yes, it is." He releases her and turns to Mutsura. "Put her in the back."

Mahiru's eyes widen with fear as she is dragged towards the car. Running out of options, she screams, calling out the name of the one person she wants to see more than anyone else until Hokuto finally puts duct tape over her mouth.

Author's Note

Yay, the first chapter is done! I warn you now, I love to write cliff hangers. They are very effective with keeping readers interested and they are SO much fun to write. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and please review! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Putting this chapter up too cause I had it done already. I had chapter one done already before I signed up for fanfiction. Then it told me I had to wait two days before I could submit anything...yeah...This is what I did while I waited.

CHAPTER TWO

Mitsuru zips his jacket up as the cold air blows unnaturally around him on the abandoned rooftop somewhere in the city. He hasn't slept in days, not since he left the Moonshine and the people that called him "friend." Mitsuru's mouth screws into a grimace at that word. "Friend." _I don't have any friends_, he thinks to himself. _Friends are people you can trust, and I don't trust anyone._

Despite his determination, his walls seem to crumble a little as the faces of the Moonlight Bandits forcefully float before his dark brown eyes. Nozomu, the annoying, flirtatious vampire whom Mitsuru wants to strangle sometimes. Akira, the ever optimistic, always smiling werewolf, his hugs one of the deadliest things Mitsuru has ever experienced. Misoka, the fox demon whom Mitsuru would love more than anything to defeat in battle as a way to prove himself.

And then there is….

Mitsuru banishes the thought before it even forms in his head.

She _was never a friend, not even close. She's an annoying, idiotic, clumsy, stubborn, _human_ woman. I shall never trust a human, let alone become friends with one._ And yet he is more helpless than ever from keeping her face out of his thoughts. Her short blonde hair whipping in the wind as they fly high in the sky after picking her up from school. Her round, cheerful blue eyes filled with a kindness seemingly reserved only for him, along with her gentle smile. The sound of her voice, both when it laughs and when she's angry with him.

A throbbing ache begins to form in his chest that completely baffles Mitsuru. He groans. _Why do I feel all torn up inside? Nothing else ever mattered to me before but getting stronger, and that's not going to change now._

Mitsuru is incapable of keeping a strange feeling from growing inside of him, an unidentifiable emotion to the tengu that has only known hatred for so long.

_What the crap is this?_

Mitsuru's musings are interrupted when an earsplitting scream fills the air and tears through his heart. He knows that voice, but he simply shakes his head. He knows she would never be in a place like this, this late at night, especially not alone to where she would get into any danger. And yet he _knows_ that voice….

All doubt flees Mitsuru's mind when he hears Mahiru scream is name, over and over again. Immediately, Mitsuru commands the wind to take him to that voice filled with terror. Her terror envelopes him, seeping into his skin, and becoming his own. Mitsuru curses under his breath. "Stupid woman. Don't you dare be hurt."

As Mitsuru flies as fast as he can, his eyes search the ground frantically for a blonde head. He realizes that he hasn't heard her call out for some time now and he pushes himself harder, faster, a sick feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.

_There!_

Mitsuru forces himself to stop on a rooftop, barely containing his gut reaction to just jump in all gung-ho. He surveys the scene below him. He sees Mahiru, arms bound behind her back, a piece of duct tape covering her mouth. She struggles against the arms of her captors, Mutsura and Hokuto, with all her strength, bucking and kicking. She manages to hit Mutsura's face with the back of her head. He yelps in pain, releasing Mahiru to hold his broken nose, trying to contain the blood flowing down his face. Before she can even think of running away Hokuto grabs her forearm in a viselike grip with one hand. His other hand lifts up to hit Mahiru across the face. The force of the blow causes her head to snap to one side. Even from Mitsuru's perch he can see the bruise already beginning to form on her left cheek.

Something in Mitsuru snaps, hatred swelling up, and he begins to transform.

Author's Note

I love the end of this chapter. It makes me smile. Anyway, most of chapter three is done already so it'll be up soon. Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

To whoever was the first to read my fanfic, this is dedicated to you. Hope you and anyone else that stumbles across this enjoys!

CHAPTER THREE

Mahiru's head is still spinning from the slap to her face when she is tossed into the back seat of the car. She lands face first on the seat and has to pull her legs in quick before Hokuto closes the door on them.

"Shiraishi?" a familiar voice says near her head. Mahiru struggles to sit upright, difficult what with her hands restrained behind her back, and realizes that she is not alone in the back of the car. Keiko Himura sits next to her, clutching a small wooden box in her lap and staring at Mahiru in disbelief. "Hokuto, what have you done?" she whispers.

"Ah, so you do know the girl," Hokuto says as he slips behind the wheel. Mutsura sits in the passenger seat to the left still clutching his nose. "How long have you known she was one of the beasts?"

Himura ignores the question. "Hokuto, you can't just kidnap her! When Shiraishi doesn't go home tonight her aunt will call the police. It'll only be a matter of time until they figure out where she is."

"Her kidnapping is justified, the police will see that. She is a monster. Besides, by the time those idiot detectives catch up to us she will already have helped us capture the other demons and they will all be dead."

Mahiru's eyes widen and she yells a muffled no.

Then her eyes widen even more for another reason. She begins to recognize a strong power beside her, pulling her, and she can see a bright light even with her eyes closed. Mahiru turns towards Himura and looks at the wooden box again. Sure enough, the box emanates a glow that only Mahiru can see, the glow of a Teardrop of the Moon. Hokuto notices this as he starts the car and his eyes narrow in curiosity.

Before they go anywhere, something large lands on the roof of the car causing the roof to cave in above Hokuto's and Mutsura's heads. The two crouch down to the floor and scramble to get the doors open but they are jammed shut. There is an awful noise as the metal above Mahiru is ripped away and then there he is.

Mitsuru.

Everything stops for one moment amidst the chaos, one very precious moment, where, despite Himura's frightened scream and Hokuto's cry of rage, Mahiru hears one word escape Mitsuru's lips.

He whispers, "Mahiru…."

Tears spring to her eyes.

The moment ends when Mahiru feels Himura put something round and hard in her hands. She can feel the warmth of the object's power. _The teardrop…._

"Take it," Himura whispers in her ear. "Give it back to the people it belongs to." Mahiru looks back at her, into Himura's eyes. They hold a vision of guilt, pain, and sorrow. Mahiru had been right. Himura wants this stupid war that causes only suffering and bloodshed to end just as badly as she does.

"Keiko!" Hokuto yells, having seen what Himura has done. He reaches back to them, trying to grab the teardrop and Mahiru.

"Go! Now!" Himura grabs Hokuto and holds him back. Mahiru shakes her head, wanting Himura to come with them. "Forget about me. I am fully capable of taking care of myself. Now just get out of here!"

Mitsuru then lifts Mahiru up into his arms. Instantly, she feels safe, safer than she ever would have if they were someone else's arms. He calls to the wind to lift them as far away from Dawn's Venus as possible.

As they ascend, he cradles Mahiru in one arm and uses his free hand to rip away the duct tape binding her hands and mouth. Mahiru wraps her arms around Mitsuru's neck, pressing her body as close to his as possible. Mitsuru feels her trembling in his arms and he holds her tighter, more tightly than he ever has before.

"Mitsuru…," she says in a whimper, her voice as light as the wind. All of the fear and tears she had been holding back to keep from panicking came rushing at her all at once. She buried her head against his neck and let them come.

Mitsuru didn't know what to do when Mahiru started crying. Normally, it would have made him mad. Normally, a string of profanities would have flowed from his mouth for her to stop before she made his clothes drenched. Yet he couldn't make himself say it. He couldn't summon his anger at her. He couldn't summon his hate.

A part of him didn't _want_ to hate her anymore.

Mitsuru would never willingly admit aloud if something scared him, but…this had scared him, seeing her almost get kidnapped. He couldn't understand it. _Why should I care if anything happens to her? Heck, I wanted to kill her myself not too long ago. But now…_

Mitsuru looks down at the small figure clutching to his tengu form.

_Now I don't want to let her go…._


	4. Chapter 4

Oh, there's something I should probably tell you about me before you read further. I don't like to cuss. It's a personal choice, I don't mean to offend or criticize anyone that does, but my choice not to cuss also shows in my writing. I don't say anything beyond the word crap so no one in my stories does either. I know that will make things a little OOC, especially Mitsuru, but my writing is like an extension of my own mouth. Just thought you might want to know. Anyway, hope you still enjoy!

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CHAPTER FOUR

"Hey," Mitsuru says after a while. Mahiru has stopped crying by now, only hiccupping every few minutes, her head leaning against his shoulder looking spacey. He tries again, this time with some of his irritation coming back, "Hey, Earth to idiot!"

"Wha?" she snaps out of it, her voice sounding stuffy from crying so much. Mahiru raises her head, sniffling loudly, and looks down at the wet spot on Mitsuru's clothes. Her cheeks turn a shade of red that can be seen even if there wasn't a full moon floating peacefully in the sky. _Not like it matters, though. He's still in his tengu form. Whatever happens to these clothes doesn't affect his other clothes in his human form. At least, I don't think so._ She shakes her head and looks up at him. _Well, he doesn't look too mad. Actually, he doesn't look anywhere near as mad as he usually is._

Her staring starts to irritate him further. "Quit staring at me like I got two heads!"

"Sorry," she mumbles. _It must have been my imagination. _"So, did you have something to ask?"

"Yeah, where do you want to go? I'm not going to carry you around all night, you friggin' woman."

Mahiru tries to ignore the fact that he is back to calling her "friggin' woman." _I had heard him say my name…right?_ She stifles a yawn. _I am pretty tired, considering everything that happened. Maybe I imagined it?_ She rests her head back on his shoulder and closes her eyes. "Take me home, please. I just want to be back home."

By "home" Mitsuru assumes she means her aunt's house. Jaw set, he starts flying in that direction. He doesn't understand why, but taking Mahiru back to her aunt's bothers him. He doesn't want to take her there. Once he drops her off he'll have to leave. Then where will he go? Back to sleeping on rooftops he guessed. He could go back to the Moonshine. _No, there's no way I'm going back to that lot by myself. _He _could_ always sleep on _her_ rooftop. _No!_ He scowls at himself. _Why the heck would I want to do that for? There's no reason for me to stick around this stupid girl. I already saved her sorry butt and she'll be perfectly fine with that other woman. But…_. He growls slightly, but still loud enough for Mahiru to hear. She opens her eyes, wondering what's wrong.

"Umm…Mitsuru?"

_What is this…feeling…of not wanting to be away from her? This is so friggin' annoying! I can't stand being near her, that's what's true. I should just drop her right here and now, that would solve all my problems._

"Mitsuru?"

"What?" he finally answers, turning his scowl on Mahiru.

"Umm…," she starts carefully, knowing from experience that he easily blows up on people when he's like this. "W-what are you thinking about? You seem r-really angry about something."

He growls again. "None of your dang business! Now leave me alone. We're almost there anyway."

She bites her lip, not wanting to say any more but knowing she has to. "Uh, Mitsuru?"

"What?!"

She cringes. "We're not almost there. We're not even going in the right direction."

Mitsuru's anger lashes out and Mahiru is afraid that he may just drop her this time like he always threatened he would. "Of course where're almost there! That woman's house is right there!" He lifts one arm to point at a house less than a mile away. She looks to where he is pointing and immediately understands the confusion.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Mitsuru. Yes, that is my aunt's house, but when I said 'take me home' I meant take me home to the Moonshine."

Mitsuru stops in midair and stares at her blankly, all anger forgotten.

Mahiru giggles. "Don't be so surprised. It's like they say, 'The home is where the heart is,' and my heart is back at the Moonshine. With Nozomu, Misoka, Akira, Oboro, Katsura, and with you." Mitsuru's heart speeds up a little when she says that last part. "So, please, take me back home to my heart."

Mitsuru is stunned for a moment, staring at Mahiru in wonder, and then shakes his head awake, reverting back to his angered state. "Tch, stupid woman. Why didn't you just tell me to take you to the Moonshine in the first place?

Mahiru smiles up at him and it makes Mitsuru almost want to smile back…almost. _Geez, now I want to smile? What the heck is wrong with me?_

A few minutes later they land on the roof of the Moonshine. Mitsuru puts Mahiru down and then reverts back to his human form. They stand there, staring at each other, in awkward silence.

Mahiru is the first to speak. "Um, Mitsuru, I was wondering…," she messes with her fingers in front of her in nervousness, twisting and untwisting them. "Well, how did you find me tonight? How did you know I was in trouble?"

He snorts. "Because you have a bloody big mouth, that's how. I'm pretty sure people from a mile away could hear you screaming your head off."

"Oh," Mahiru says, looking down at the ground in disappointment. She had hoped he had been looking for her. She looks back up at him, her small smile returning. "Anyway, thank you for saving me."

Mitsuru, unused to being thanked, looks away trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. "Whatever."

Mahiru's smile widens to a grin at his discomfort, but it puts a strain on her cheeks, irritating the bruise from Hokuto's slap, and she lets her smile fade with an, "Ow." Mahiru lifts one hand to touch her wound. It's tender to the touch, feels like it has swollen to the size of a golf ball, and there's a constant throbbing ache.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees Mitsuru stepping closer. She glances up. There's an odd look in Mitsuru's eyes. He's staring at her wound with anger, not at her, but for the one who hurt her. And there is also something else, something Mahiru is not used to seeing on his face. It's a look of concern. Mitsuru stops about a foot in front of her. He raises a hand, as if to caress her cheek, but stops himself, hesitating. Mahiru moves forward, closing the gap, until they are only inches apart. She tilts her head so that Mitsuru's fingers lightly brush her skin. His eyes soften as he cups her cheek gently.

"Mahiru…," he whispers her name for the second time that night, his voice full of an emotion that Mitsuru is only just beginning to realize. He brings his head down, their lips coming closer.

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Author's Note

You all are going to hate me for this cliff hanger. But did you really think I would give it to you that easily? Anyway, I might get another chapter posted today, depends on how much work I get done. Either way, after today you probably won't get anymore until Sunday, maybe not until Monday even. This weekend is going to be kind of busy for me. But don't worry, I won't be one of those people that start a fanfic and never finishes. So long as there is at least one person reading my story I will continue writing until it is finished. You are my reason for writing, after all, to entertain you and sweep you away into another world. An escape just for you. ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

I forgot to say this before, but I do not own Crescent Moon. Although I would think that obvious. Anyway, just enjoy the story.

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CHAPTER FIVE

Mahiru and Mitsuru can feel each other's breath on their skin when they hear a loud crashing sound and the stomping of feet coming from the stairwell. Instantly, the moment is lost, both taking several steps back, cheeks burning furiously. Instead of looking at each other they focus on whomever, or whatever, is coming their way.

They start to hear voices. "I'm telling you guys, I swear I can smell them."

"And you are sure it is Mitsuru and the Princess?"

"Yeah, Misoka, I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Well, hurry up, Akira, and get the bloody door open!"

"Chill out, Nozomu! I'm going as fast as I can."

Finally the door swings open and Akira, Nozomu, and Misoka come crashing onto the roof.

"Mahiru!" Nozomu and Akira cry at once, pulling Mahiru into a group hug that almost crushes her. Akira has his ears out and his tail is wagging a mile a minute.

Misoka sighs in relief. "Princess, Mitsuru, it is good to see you both again, but what calls for the…sudden return. We had though to not see either of you for some time."

Mitsuru just stays silent so Mahiru answers when she is finally free from her friends' arms. "Well, it's a long story. But first, I've gotta ask, Akira, what are you doing back? You…had left, too, didn't you?"

Akira puts his ears and tail away and says somberly, "Well, yeah, I had left, but then Nozomu had Mr. Bat find me, saying you had left your aunt's house without taking Mr. Bat with you and they couldn't find you anywhere. So I came back to help with the search."

Nozomu gasps and narrows his eyes on Mahiru. "That's right, you did! We told you _never_ to go anywhere without taking Mr. Bat with you! So why did you leave without him? Especially considering the…state…we were all in."

Mahiru blushes slightly and stumbles over her words. "W-well, I hadn't really been…s-sleeping very well lately a-and Mr. Bat was staying up with me all night…to keep me company and to try to…ch-cheer me up." She looks down at her feet. "When I got up to go to school this morning Mr. Bat was sound asleep and wouldn't wake up, so I just left him in my room to sleep. He deserved it. I-I couldn't have gotten through the past couple of nights without him."

A sad and guilty silence spreads across the rooftop.

"Be that as it may, Princess," Misoka finally says, "that was still very reckless of you. What if something bad had happened to you?" Mahiru laughs nervously and refuses to look at anyone. Misoka's eyes narrow. "_Did_ something happen?" He then notices her cheek. He walks forward, gently grasps her chin, and turns her head to get a better look at her bruise. "Princess…," there is a slight hint of anger in Misoka's voice that no one is used to hearing. "Who hit you?"

"What?!" Nozomu and Akira yell, and chaos ensues.

Akira starts running around the roof shouting, "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, Mahiru's hurt, Mahiru's hurt! Someone get Oboro! No, wait, he and Katsura are at the Moon Palace. Someone call an ambulance!"

Nozomu reacts in a different manner, rounding on Mitsuru, jabbing a finger into his chest, sparks flying. "You finally hit her, didn't you?"

Mitsuru stares at the vampire in shock. "What?"

"You finally hit Mahiru! You let your anger get the better of you and hit her!"

"I did not!" Mitsuru's fists clench at his sides. "Why do you automatically assume I did it?"

"Because you're the one with the anger management issues!"

Mitsuru growls. "I would _never _hit her!"

Everyone stops and stares at the tengu. Eyebrows rose at the implications of that sentence.

Mitsuru turns bright red and growls again. "I-I would never let my anger get the better of me."

Nozomu laughs. "Oh, really? That's hard to believe considering-"

"Enough!" Mahiru yells and gets between the two demons. "Enough fighting already. Mitsuru is not the one who hit me."

"Then who, Princess?" Misoka asks.

Mahiru takes in a deep breath and says, "Hokuto Koudokui." Everyone except Mitsuru gasps. "Dawn's Venus, they found me on my way back to my aunt's tonight. They…," she shudders and takes another deep breath. "They tried to kidnap me. But then Mitsuru heard my screams and saved me." She turns to Mitsuru with a smile. He looks away with a grunt.

Akira whimpers, werewolf ears hanging low. "It's all our fault. We left you alone after our stupid argument and Dawn's Venus was almost able to kidnap you. If it wasn't for Mitsuru they would have succeeded, too. We're the most horrible friends in the universe!"

Mahiru goes up to Akira and scratches him behind the ears like she would if he were a puppy. In a way he kind of is. "Oh, Akira, it's alright. Everything turned out ok."

"No, it's not alright, Mahiru," Nozomu says miserably. "Protecting you is part of our job, something we all swore we would do and we failed."

"He's right, Princess," Misoka says. "What we have done is unforgivable."

"But I love you all so much, how can I not forgive you?" Mahiru looks at them all in turn with a bright smile they have all missed. "Besides, it's partly my fault, too. I'm sorry about what happened the other day. I'm sorry that I left. And even though that probably won't be the last time we fight, I want to stay with all of you, and not just now, but always. This is my home now and I don't want to be anywhere else anymore."

Mahiru's smile is infectious and soon everyone is smiling. Except for Mitsuru, of course. _Stubborn tengu,_ Mahiru thinks.

Suddenly, Akira glomps Mahiru again. "Yay! It's so good to have everyone back together again. Everything is going to be alright from now on! Come on let's all celebrate with pancakes!"

"Who in their right mind would have pancakes in the middle of the freaking night?" Mitsuru asks. The bickering continues back and forth, but Mahiru can't help but smile. Everything seems to be back to normal and Mitsuru isn't taking off again like Mahiru was afraid he would.

Everyone starts to head inside the Moonshine when Mahiru pauses. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She fishes around in the pocket of her skirt and holds out the teardrop for everyone to see.

Misoka takes the jewel from her and examines it closely. "Princess, where did you find this?"

"Dawn's Venus had it when they tried to kidnap me. During the commotion of the rescue Himura slipped it to me, saying to return it to the people it belongs to." The others look at her in disbelief. "You were right, guys. Himura is a member of Dawn's Venus, but the reason I didn't want to tell you at first is because I don't think she's our enemy. Tonight, not only did she willingly give me the teardrop, but she also helped me get away."

"Does Hokuto know of her actions?"

Mahiru nods.

Misoka clutches the teardrop in his fist and turns to go inside. "Then we must proceed with caution. If it truly is as you say, if the girl is on our side and not simply trying to trick us, then her life may be in grave danger. There is no telling what Hokuto will do with her after her betrayal."

Everyone heads inside, Akira looking a little paler than usual, but Mahiru hangs back for a minute. She can't help but raise her fingers to brush against her mouth remembering how close Mitsuru's lips were to her own. A spark of hope ignites in her chest. _Maybe…Mitsuru has feelings for me, too?_ Nozomu yells her name and she hurries off down the stairs, a little skip in her step.

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Author's Note

Told you I wouldn't give you that kiss yet lol. I'll try to post more tomorrow, promise, but the next chapter or two are giving me a bit of trouble. I shall do my best nonetheless.


	6. Chapter 6

Here it it, the chapter that was giving me so much trouble. I think it's because I had to focus on AxK instead of MxM. Don't get me wrong, I wish Keiko had ended up with Akira instead of Hokuto and it's not that she annoys me or anything, it's just...I like MxM a whole lot more. XD Oh, well, whatever, I got it done so just read it already. And review. I would like that too.

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CHAPTER SIX

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_A warehouse._

_Blood._

"_Your time has come to an end."_

_Wind._

_Lightning._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_An arrow flying through the air._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_Blood._

_Death._

Mahiru sits upright in bed with a jolt, heart hammering in her chest, hair and clothes soaked with sweat. She feels like someone put a needle in her arm and injected her veins with pure fear. _What where those images? Whose voice was that? And who had been screaming?_ Mahiru's throat is raw as if she had been the one screaming, but she knew if she really had, then the guys would be rushing to her room in an instant. She listens intently but hears nothing except for the faint sound of snoring coming from Nozomu's room.

The last part of the dream comes to mind again and she shudders. She hadn't seen _who_ had died, but there was still a strong sense of death that filled her with dread. _Whose death was it, though?_ She runs her hands across her face wishing to wipe it all away. "Forget it, Mahiru," she says aloud, her voice raspy. "It was only a dream…It was only a dream…." She glances at the clock on her nightstand. 5:31. Groaning, she decides to get up for the day. _No way am I going to be able to fall asleep again after that._

Mahiru slips out of her room and down the hall as quietly as she can, not bothering to change out of her flannel pajamas. Once she reaches the stairs a clanging sound drifts to her ears coming from the kitchen along with a delicious smell. From the bottom step she sees a familiar fluffy tail. "Akira? What are you doing up so early?"

Akira is standing in front of the stove cooking eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, and any other breakfast item Mahiru can think of. He looks over his shoulder with a small smile. None of his usual cheerfulness and enthusiasm is there. "Hey, Mahiru. I couldn't sleep. Gave up a little while ago and started cooking. Cooking helps take my mind off things." The smile fades a little and sadness enters his eyes. Mahiru sits at the table, wanting to ask what's wrong but she can already guess. _He's worried about Himura, especially after what Misoka said last night._ He seems to realize his face is falling and quickly fixes it. "Anyway, what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep, either, even though I really need sleep." She barely suppresses a yawn. "I stayed up late talking to my aunt on the phone, trying to convince her you guys didn't kidnap me and that I'm moving back in of my own free will." Suddenly, Mahiru's stomach growls loudly and her cheeks catch on fire.

Akira laughs and Mahiru gives herself a pat on the back, glad her embarrassment made him feel at least a little better. "You want any of this food? Someone needs to eat it before it all goes bad anyway."

Mahiru gets up, grabs a plate from the cupboard, and starts filling up. "Then I'm your girl. My stomach is like a bottomless pit." When she has a little bit of everything she sits back down and starts to eat, letting her mind wander to thoughts of Himura. _How is she? Where is she right now? Is she still with Hokuto or did she manage to get away from him? Has he hurt her? I know Himura said she can take care of herself but…that look I saw in Hokuto's eyes when she kept him from grabbing me…It was like the look of a murderer._ Mahiru puts her fork down, suddenly losing her appetite. "Akira?"

"Hmm?" He turns the stove off and turns around, leaning against the counter.

"Do you…do you think Himura is alright?" she asks tentatively.

Any will Akira had to keep up a façade vanishes and his features turn downcast. "I don't know, Mahiru. I've been wondering that all night." Minutes slip by in silence, then Akira's eyes widen with an idea, his ears and tail sticking out in his excitement. "We could go looking for her."

"What?" Mahiru asks, stunned.

Akira's voice speeds up and he leans closer to Mahiru the more excited he gets. "You and me, we could go looking for her. With my nose and ears it probably won't take long. We'll be back before the others even wake up."

Mahiru bites her lip, deliberating. "Don't you think we should wait for the others?"

"What if she doesn't have any more time to wait?" he pleads, giving her his best puppy dog look which is made more effective with the help of his ears and tail. "If we waited it could be too late by the time we get to her. And do you really think Hokuto is going to let her get away unscathed with what she did?"

Mahiru shakes her head slowly. _But will we really be able to find her, just the two of us? Will we be able to save her by ourselves?_ Mahiru considers Akira's words and thinks back to Hokuto's crazed look, holding up a hand to touch the bandage covering her wound._ All of the hatred and anger he harbors towards the Lunar Race, he's going to let it all loose on Himura to make her pay, isn't he? Akira's right, waiting could get her killed._ She stands up. "Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mitsuru is lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. He isn't sure how long he's been awake. All night maybe? Thinking back, he does have a few gaps in his memory so he must have dosed off at one point. Not that it matters. Awake or dreaming, his thoughts still focus on the same thing.

_Mahiru…_

He keeps going over every detail of last night. How his stomach clenched in fear when he heard her scream. How he ignited in anger so easily when he saw Hokuto hurt her. How his mouth felt when he said her name for the first time. How much he enjoyed feeling her warmth in his arms. How much he wanted to kiss her on the rooftop.

He groans and covers his face with the pillow. _I had _not_ wanted to kiss her. That would never happen. I _loathe_ her. I _hate_ her. I wouldn't mind if she dropped off the face of the earth!_ He contemplates about what it would be like if he never saw her again and his chest tightens. He doesn't want that. He wishes she were next to him right now.

Mitsuru groans again and tosses the pillow across the room. It hits the wall with a soft thud. _What the crap is wrong with me? I don't even feel like "me" anymore._ He lifts his hand in front of his face staring at his palm as if all of the answers lie in the lines and creases, just waiting for him to decipher them like a palm reader. _What am I changing into because of her? I don't feel as angry anymore. I feel like whatever I wanted out of life has suddenly shifted sideways and upside down. Do I really hate what's happening, or do I like this new "me" I'm becoming?_

A loud commotion coming from downstairs pulls Mitsuru out of his thoughts. He glances at the clock. It reads 6:36. He sighs and throws the covers off of him. _Might as well go see what's going on._

Mitsuru drags himself downstairs, head still foggy from lack of sleep. The fox and vampire are in the kitchen arguing about something _way_ too early in the morning for Mitsuru's liking. Misoka is trying to stay calm and collected but he's obviously struggling. Nozomu isn't even trying to keep it together. His arms are flinging around and he looks like he wants to hit something. There's only one person they would get this worked up about. Mitsuru starts to focus on what they're saying.

"Those idiots!" Nozomu yells, exasperated. "Why didn't they wait for us?"

Misoka sighs loudly. "Well, obviously they are very worried about the girl, as they should be, but this is beyond reckless. They can't handle Dawn's Venus by themselves."

"And Mahiru! She didn't bring Batty with her _again_! I swear I'm gonna clobber her when we find them."

Mitsuru notices a piece of paper clasped in one of Nozomu's fists. Mitsuru grabs the vampire's forearm, ignoring the yelp of pain and attempt to pull away from his grasp, and yanks the sheet out of Nozomu's hand, almost tearing the paper in the process. Mitsuru scans the paper. It's a note written in Mahiru's hand:

"Dear Mitsuru, Misoka, and Nozomu,

In case you guys wake up before we return we decided to leave you a note. Akira and I have gone out to look for Himura. I'm sorry we didn't wait for you all, but, as Misoka said, time is of the essence and she may not have much left. Again, we're very sorry, and hope you can forgive us.

Sincerely,

Mahiru and Akira"

Mitsuru crumples the note and throws it in the sink while every profanity he can think of comes streaming out of his mouth under his breath, cursing the stupid girl and werewolf. _Why I ever thought I needed to kill her myself I have no idea. She's going to get the job done on her own just fine._ Mitsuru rushes up to his room to change. No matter how much of a hurry he's in he doesn't want to go out in just his boxers and a shirt.

Now fully dressed, Mitsuru is about to jump out of his window when he hears something land on the roof. Then the sound of feet pounding against stairs. Mitsuru turns around and heads to his door. He's out in the hallway just in time to see Mahiru bursting through the stairwell door.

Tears are streaming down Mahiru's face making her eyes red and puffy. When she sees Mitsuru she lets out a mangled sob and launches herself into him. Her arms encircle his chest tightly, tight enough to match one of Akira's hugs even when he's fully transformed, and she presses her face against him. At first Mitsuru hesitates returning her embrace. By this time Misoka and Nozomu have come upstairs, too, and he doesn't want them thinking things they shouldn't. But seeing her cry, seeing her tremble again with fear and distress, he can't help himself. Slowly, he brings one arm across her shoulders and the other slides down across her back, holding her close.

One second.

Mitsuru gives himself one second to soak in Mahiru's presence, to press his face against the top of her head, and to breathe in her scent. When he read that note he thought, for the second time within a twenty-four hour period, that he was going to lose her. Relief courses through Mitsuru as he enjoys that one second.

Then the second passes and he grabs Mahiru's shoulders, pushing her away from him so he can get a look at her. Her clothes and hands are covered in blood and Mitsuru turns several shades paler. "Are you hurt?" he asks gently, trying not to let his panic show as he scans her body looking for an injury.

Mahiru opens her mouth to speak but all that comes out is another sob. She covers her mouth with her hand, trying to stop the sobs and compose herself, but it is a losing battle so she simply shakes her head no.

"Mahiru, what happened? Where's Akira? Did you find that girl?" Mahiru sobs again as she nods her head to the last question, grabs Mitsuru's hand, and drags him up the stairs leading to the roof, Misoka and Nozomu close on their heels.

Up on the roof sits Akira, a broken and bloodied form lying in his lap. He has two fingers pressed against the figure's neck searching for a pulse. Everyone just stares in horror and the only sound heard is of Mahiru crying. Akira looks up at them, tears brim his eyes and spill over, and says one word.

"Keiko."

* * *

Author's Note

I know, I know. You hate me. This cliff hanger _was_especially evil. Don't worry, though, I'll post more soon. Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

Crescent Moon is not mine...although I wish it was...Read and review please!

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

The next several hours pass by Mahiru in a blur.

She remembers Misoka needing Nozomu's help to pry Akira's hands off of Himura so they can take her to the spare bedroom.

She remembers hearing the horrible popping noises as Misoka and Nozomu reset the bones that had been dislocated.

She remembers them trying to count how many broken bones she has, and then giving up when the number got too high to really matter, simply making sure all of the breaks line up correctly so they can properly heal.

She remembers watching them clean the dozens of slash marks that cover Himura's body, like she was whipped over and over again.

She especially remembers Mitsuru never letting go of her hand. All day, he rubs soothing circles into her skin that otherwise would have sent shivers crawling down her spine if she wasn't feeling so numb.

She remembers Misoka saying Himura will live, that they had gotten to her in time. Barely.

At this point, Mahiru wakes up from her stupor. She blinks and her eyes feel dry and irritated, like she's been staring at one spot on the wall for a long time. She was pretty sure she had.

Mitsuru is sitting on the couch with her, never once having left her side except when she had gone to the bathroom in a daze to wash off the blood. He watches her intently. He saw her blink again and squeezes her hand, hoping she is finally coming out of it. She has been silent, still, and expressionless for so long. The usual light that shines in her eyes is gone, replaced with only dullness.

Mahiru turns to look at him. At first, he's afraid she doesn't recognize him when she says her first word in hours, "Mitsuru?"

"Hey," he answers softly. "I thought we would have to check you in to a psych ward soon." He smirks at his attempt at a joke, hoping for a positive response.

Some of the light returns to her eyes and she gives him a small smile. "You guys haven't made me _that_ crazy yet."

Nozomu and Misoka enter the room with a tray of warm tea. Misoka looks at their clasped hands with a questioning look as he sets the cups on the coffee table in front of them. Mitsuru blushes and tries to let go of her hand, but Mahiru won't let him. She asks him a silent question with her eyes. He scowls at her. Her eyes grow wider, begging. After a moment Mitsuru lets out a frustrated sigh and holds her hand firmly in his, giving up. He won't say no to her. Not today.

Mahiru smiles, takes a cup of tea, and asks, "Where's Akira?"

"He's still with Himura," Misoka replies. "He refuses to leave her side. He wants to be there when she wakes up, although that is unlikely to happen for several days. She needs a lot of rest and time for her body to heal." He takes a sip of tea before asking the question Mahiru has been dreading to answer. "Princess, I believe now would be a good time. Please, can you tell us what happened?"

Mahiru releases a shuddering breath. "It didn't take us long to find her once we set out. Almost immediately, Akira caught her sent because of all the…blood." She pauses, licking her dry lips. "She was…like that…when we found her, laid out on a park bench as if it was a sacrificial alter. Dawn's Venus was nowhere to be seen. She was left there for us to find with this note in her hand." Mahiru takes out a slip of paper and hands it to Misoka.

Misoka reads the words aloud, "'Surrender yourselves, or your beloved "princess" shall suffer a fate worse than this.'" Everyone glances at Mahiru. "They know you are the descendant of the princess?"

She nods. "I think so."

Nozomu sits down in one of the chairs next to the sofa. "Well, crap. Now what do we do?"

"I'll tell you what," Mitsuru says, his voice rising with every word. "We find Dawn's Venus and tell them to stick their threat up their-"

Misoka cuts him off with a steely glare before he can finish. "We do nothing."

"What?! We can't just run away like a bunch of cowards!"

"We are not running away. We have no idea what Dawn's Venus is planning. They speak as if they already have the princess, which worries me. It means they are planning something. Something big. Until we find out what that is, it is best to just sit tight. They do not know where we are. We keep the princess here and off the streets until we find out what is going on, or until they strike."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_A warehouse._

_The smell of salt water hanging in the air._

_Blood._

_Hokuto saying, "Your time has come to an end."_

_A waning crescent moon swimming silently across the black sky._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_A bow string being pulled back._

_Mutsura's sadistic smile._

_Screaming._

_Wind._

_Lightning._

_A twang as an arrow is released into the air._

_The sickening sound of tearing as the arrow pierces flesh, tendon, and muscle._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_Death._

Mahiru's eyes fly open, adrenalin coursing through her veins. She sits up in bed slowly. A cold sweat coats her skin and she's shaking uncontrollably. _It was that same dream again, only this time I saw more. It was still all only flashes of images and sounds, but more vivid this time._ Mahiru glances at the clock. 5:31. The exact same time as the night before. Her stomach tightens with unease. _Having the same dream twice in as many nights, that could be a coincidence, but having it at exactly the same time? _Mahiru shakes her head and sighs as she puts on her slippers, grabs the blanket from her bed, and heads up to the roof. _Maybe I'll feel better after some fresh air._

Thinking everyone still asleep, Mahiru is surprised to see Mitsuru already on the roof, sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the parapet, gazing up at the stars. Her stomach tightens again, but for entirely different reasons.

He doesn't have to look to know it's her. Mitsuru would know Mahiru's presence even with his eyes closed. He refuses to look at her as she steps closer, refuses to acknowledge the fact that his heart is beating faster with each step she takes.

"Hey," she says as she sits next to him with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Obviously. I'm not normally up this early in the morning, am I?" Mahiru doesn't even flinch at his biting words. Either she is getting used to his constant anger or he's losing his touch. Mitsuru figures it's the former. _No way am I turning soft._ Although, the reason he can't sleep is because he can't stop thinking about Mahiru. He turns back to looking at the stars, silently cursing the stupid human.

"No, I suppose you're not," she says with a giggle. "Did you have a nightmare, too?"

He snorts. "Like I would do something that stupid. Having nightmares requires being afraid of something and I'm not afraid of anything." Mahiru laughs again, louder this time, and Mitsuru actually smirks a little. Then something sinks in and he looks at her. "Wait, what did you mean, 'Did you have a nightmare, _too_?' You have one or something?"

Mahiru wraps the blanket tighter around her shoulders and rests her head on her knees. "Yeah. I'm not as brave as you and the others. A lot of things scare me."

Mitsuru raises an eyebrow, surprised. "That's stupid. You're plenty brave. You've gone on all of the missions to retrieve the Teardrops of the Moon. You went after those other idiots when they were in trouble at the WPF when we first fought Dawn's Venus. You're terrified of flying, and yet you fly with me to and from school. You were terrified of our true forms as members of the Lunar Race, and yet you moved in with this bunch of crazy demons. You were terrified of _me_ when we first met, and yet here you are, sitting right next to me." Mitsuru gulps and blushes. He had said a lot more than he meant to. He waits for her response, expecting her to tease him or something, but she stays silent. He starts to think that he said something wrong when she suddenly leans against him her head resting on his shoulder. Mitsuru blushes intensely. "H-hey! What are you…." he stops, realizing her eyes are closed and her breath is deep and even. "Hey, did you fall _asleep_?" He shakes her shoulder but no response.

Mitsuru laughs a little under his breath, shaking his head. "Stupid girl." He picks her up, bridal style, careful not to jostle her too much so she doesn't wake up. He carries her downstairs and into her room. After tucking Mahiru into bed he brushes a lock of hair away from her face and whispers, "Sweet dreams, princess."

* * *

Author's Note

A small chapter, I know. I always feel kind of bad when my chapters turn out small, like I did something wrong or something. But then I think of how small some of James Patterson's chapters are, like in his Maximum Ride series, and then I don't feel so bad. XD


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

That morning, Mahiru wakes up to find that Oboro and Katsura have returned from the Moon Palace. Explanations were given as to how Mahiru, Mitsuru, and Akira returned and for why the extra room has been turned into a hospital for a member of Dawn's Venus. Most importantly, they were told of the warning. Oboro agrees with Misoka on taking the defensive and orders Mahiru not to leave the Moonshine, not even to go to school. The school and her aunt are called with the excuse that she is sick.

At first, Mahiru doesn't mind not being able to go anywhere, understanding it's for her own safety and she definitely doesn't want to be kidnapped again. She's happy for the reprieve from schoolwork, even though she'll have to make up for it later, and she gets the chance to help out more around the Moonshine. _Even though I'll miss swim practice and my aunt and friends will be worried, a little vacation won't be so bad, right?_

However, on the sixth day of her house arrest, Mahiru is mopping the floors _again_ and sighs. _There's only so much of this a girl can take. I wish Dawn's Venus would just try to kidnap me already and get it over with._

Mahiru glances over at Mitsuru. He's standing behind the bar wiping away the water spots on the glasses. She sighs again. _That night when we talked on the roof, I don't remember ever going back to bed. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep listening to his voice. But when I woke up I was in my room. Meaning…,_ Mahiru blushes a little and focuses again on moving the mop back and forth across the tile. _Meaning Mitsuru must have carried me back to my room. Every time I try to thank him he gets angry and runs away. He's been avoiding me all week ever since, not even meeting my gaze._

Mahiru finishes mopping the rest of the floor, puts the cleaning supplies away, and stretches, her back sore from bending over for so long. She goes into the kitchen to get a glass of water and finds Akira scrounging through the fridge with a sheet of paper and pencil in hand. "Hey, Akira. What are you up to?"

"Hey, Mahiru," he says as he writes something down. "Just making a grocery list. We're running low on supplies."

Mahiru bites her lip, an idea forming in her head. "Akira, do you think _I_ could do the shopping?"

Akira brings his head out of the refrigerator slowly and looks at her sadly. "I don't know…Aren't you still not allowed to go outside?"

"That's right, Akira, she's not," Oboro says as he enters the kitchen, making Mahiru jump.

_Busted._ She turns to face him. "Please, Oboro? I'm tired of being stuck inside. I want to get out and stretch my legs and breathe some fresh air." Oboro just stares at her, hands on hips, standing firm. It's at times like this that he reminds Mahiru of a real father. There's only about a one percent chance he's going to let her go out and only with conditions Mahiru is pretty sure Mitsuru is not going to like. She argues with herself for a second, thinking Mitsuru will get really mad at her if she does this, but then decides she'd rather him be openly mad at her instead of treating her like the plague. "Will you let me go if Mitsuru comes with me and I stay by his side at all times?" Oboro raises an eyebrow, surprised at her choice of an escort. The sound of glass shattering echoes through the room. It came from the bar. Mahiru winces. Mitsuru had been listening. Oboro is silent as he contemplates and Mahiru plays her last card. "I'll also bring Mr. Bat with me."

Oboro half smiles and says, "You know how to bargain well, Princess. If you take both Mitsuru and the bat, then you may go do the shopping."

Mahiru lets out a squeal and jumps up and down. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Oboro! I-" Mitsuru's loud cursing interrupts her. _Maybe he'll be a little _too_ mad at me._

"Convincing Mitsuru to go with you, however, is all up to you," Oboro says with a laugh and goes over to talk to Misoka who's checking out the sound equipment on the stage. Mahiru laughs nervously and walks slowly into the bar, Akira right behind her ready to intervene in case Mitsuru blows up on her.

Mitsuru is kneeling on the floor picking up pieces of broken glass behind the bar, his face set in a hard scowl and his muscles are tight with barely contained anger.

"Umm…Mitsuru?" Mahiru asks, her voice barely over a whisper.

"What?" he snaps.

"W-will you please come with me to the s-store to buy the groceries?" Mahiru braces herself as she sees his last nerve snap.

"I have better things to do than cart you around everywhere! And why do _I_ have to be the one to take you?! Why not take the stupid dog that was planning on going in the first place?!"

"Uh oh," Akira says and backs away slowly. Mahiru's last nerve has snapped, too. His ears flatten themselves against his head.

Mahiru steps right up to Mitsuru and stabs a finger at his chest to emphasize her words. "I want _you_ to go with me instead of Akira because Akira isn't the one who has been completely _ignoring_ me for _days_!" Mahiru steps even closer, causing Mitsuru to step back until he bumps into the counter. "So you either take me or I _swear_ when I go insane from being cooped up in here because of that jerk Hokuto I'm going after _you_ first!"

Everyone is too stunned to speak.

Then Mitsuru takes a deep breath and sighs, his anger diminishing. "Fine, I'll go," he says grudgingly and heads upstairs to get his shoes and a coat. Mahiru smiles brightly, her own anger vanishing as quickly as it appeared, and goes to her own room to do the same.

A few minutes later Mitsuru comes back downstairs, yanks the grocery list wordlessly from Akira's hand, and heads back up so Mahiru and he can take off from the roof where they're less likely to be seen.

When he's sure they're gone Akira says, "That was the scariest thing I have ever seen. Mahiru has been hanging around Mitsuru _way_ too much."

"You may be right," Misoka says, "but some good may also be coming from it." Akira looks at him skeptically and Misoka chuckles a little. "You saw what just happened, right? Mitsuru gave in to the Princess's demand without too much trouble. It's getting harder and harder for him to say 'no' to her."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Mahiru and Mitsuru are silent as they fly to the store a couple miles down the road from the Moonshine. Normally, Mahiru hates flying. She hates being so high up in the air to where if she looks down all of the people look like ants and the cars look like little beetles. She hates the thought of Mitsuru's grip possibly slipping and then she would be freefalling to her death. Mitsuru is the only thing keeping her from that fate. If something happens to him, there will be no one to catch her.

Normally all of these fears would be running through her head right now, but today is an exception, for today it is snowing. It started sometime last night and hasn't stopped since, gently coating a layer of white over the Earth about a foot thick.

Right now, seeing the ice crystals dance around her in the wind, it's like Mahiru and Mitsuru are the centerpiece in a snow globe.

"It's beautiful," Mahiru whispers.

"What," Mitsuru says, "this bird crap from the sky?"

Mahiru glares at him. "It's not bird poop, it's snow! And, yes, it is beautiful."

"Whatever," Mitsuru snorts. "I don't see it. It's cold, wet, hard to walk through when it gets all piled up, and it turns the ground to ice making it all slippery. It's friggin' irritating if you ask me." Mitsuru puts them down in an alley near the store. Instantly, they sink into the snow until it is halfway up their calves. Mitsuru scrunches his nose in disgust. "See? It's annoying! Now it's all in my shoes." Mahiru laughs and he tells her to shut up as he heads towards the street, grumbling to himself that snow should be cursed to the pits of Tartarus so that it would all melt.

They enter the store and Mahiru grabs a buggy. "May I have the list, please?"

"Here," he says and hands it to her. "Let's get this over with."

They shop in awkward silence, or, at least, for Mahiru it's awkward. She asked Mitsuru to go with her so she could find out why he has been avoiding her lately, but instead she's at a loss for words and all Mitsuru is doing is glowering at her side and basically ignoring her again. _His attitude seems to be worse than before, actually. Is it because I yelled at him?_ Mahiru chews on her bottom lip as she chooses her words carefully. The last thing they need is to get into a yelling match in the middle of the grocery store. "I'm, um, sorry."

Mitsuru looks at her from the corner of his eye. "What?"

She pushes the cart to the side of the aisle they're in so they aren't in anyone's way and stops to face him. "I'm sorry. For yelling at you before. I haven't been sleeping well lately and just, uh, snapped."

Not sleeping well is kind of an understatement. Every night at exactly 5:31 in the morning, she has the exact same dream. Well, not quite exact, because each time she sees the dream, it's in greater detail. She now knows she is in a warehouse by the ocean, chained to the floor. Everyone is there, Mitsuru, Akira, Misoka, Nozomu, and the members of Dawn's Venus. Then, someone dies. She still doesn't know who, but the fear of finding out keeps her from falling asleep at night. Then when she wakes up after the dream she can't ever fall asleep again.

"It's…okay," Mitsuru says, focusing on the macaroni box sitting on the shelf next to her head. "I…deserved it anyway. I…I'm, um…." He grinds his teeth together. _Why is it so hard to say? I want to apologize for ignoring her. I've been trying to figure out this mess in my head and every time I'm near her it gets harder to do so I've just been avoiding her. But I'm not any closer to figuring out what this stupid feeling is._ Mitsuru pictures the look that had been on her face as she yelled at him in the Moonshine. The look of hurt that was there. He had wanted to hit his head against the wall. He had hurt her. Again. And he didn't want to do that anymore. So now he's trying to say those two little words that are so hard to say. "I'm s-sorry," he finally gets out. "For ignoring you."

Mahiru gasps. She's never heard those words come out of his mouth before. Ever. "Who are you and what have you done with Mitsuru?"

He growls at her and finally focuses his eyes on her. "Shut up! If you don't want me to apologize, then fine, I take it back!"

Mahiru giggles. "No, I'm glad you were able to say it, and I accept your apology. I was just surprised. You've come a long way from the boy I first met. Now come on, we still have a few things left we have to get." Mahiru continues pushing the buggy down the aisle and Mitsuru follows close behind her, a small smile on his face.

Not long after, they find the last item on the list, proceed to check out, and head out the door with four plastic bags laden with food that Mitsuru carries. They head towards the alley so they can take off to the sky but along the way Mahiru gradually lets Mitsuru walk ahead of her until she falls behind a little. When they are at the edge of the parking lot she bends down, picks up some snow, shapes it into a ball the size of her fist and cries out, "Snow ball fight!"

"What in the world are you- oof!" Mitsuru had turned around to see what Mahiru was yelling about just in time for the snow ball she had thrown to hit him right in the face. Mahiru bursts out in uncontrollable laughter. "Oh, you think that is funny, do you?" Mitsuru puts down the groceries and scoops up a snow ball the size of a basket ball. "I'll show you funny." He tosses the ball but Mahiru dodges it with ease.

"Ha, you'll have to try better than that!" She sticks her tongue out at him.

The fight continues for over an hour, snow flying left and right. Mahiru watches as Mitsuru's walls come down little by little. First he smiles, and then he actually laughs. The sound of it makes Mahiru stop with wonder and her face lights up like a kid who has just been given their favorite flavor of ice cream. However, her pause gives Mitsuru the perfect opportunity to hit her upside the head with another snow ball.

Their fun eventually comes to an end when Mr. Bat pipes up from inside Mahiru's pocket, Nozomu asking what's taking them so long.

"Sorry, Nozomu," Mahiru says breathlessly. "We got…distracted."

Batty's head cocks to the side as Nozomu asks, "Why are you guys all wet?"

"Don't ask!" Mitsuru replies and Mahiru can't help but laugh.

As they start to head towards the alley again Mitsuru feels…different. Like his chest is lighter. All of the worries he had about the strange feeling growing inside of him, of losing himself because of it, it all melted away during that snow ball fight. Mitsuru had smiled. He had actually _laughed_. He had fun. _This feeling inside my chest, this warmth, I'm…happy. Happier than I ever have been before. I thought getting stronger would make me happy, but…this…this is so much greater than that. And it's all because of her._

Mitsuru stops in his tracks and watches the girl walking in front of him.

_This feeling…I know what it is now. I…I love her. I love Mahiru._


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry it's been a while. Been busy with school just starting and all that. Don't have as much time to write as I did over the summer, but I will still try to finish this. Anyway, enjoy and please review!

I own nothing.

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CHAPTER TWELVE

_Mahiru is in an abandoned warehouse by the ocean. She can hear the waves crashing against the shore and the smell of sea salt hangs heavy in the air. High above her head she can see metal rafters rusting and patches of sky showing through holes in the ceiling. Through one of these holes she can see the moon, a waning crescent, smiling down on her in a backdrop of black. Mahiru can't help but think the smile menacing on this night._

_All around her is chaos. Her friends, all in their Lunar forms, are battling Dawn's Venus trying to get her back. Akira charges at Hokuto and Mutsura, but something pushes him back. Misoka throws fire at them, the fire streaming endlessly from his hands, but the fire meets resistance, coiling back from the two men, outlining some kind of invisible wall. Nozomu sends his bats to find a way in but the wall stretches all around them making a dome. Mahiru then notices something shining in Hokuto's hands and she senses a familiar power drawing her to it._

_Hokuto has the last Teardrop of the Moon._

_With the power of the Teardrop, Hokuto makes Mutsura's arrows more powerful than ever before. Each arrow, thankfully missing her friends, causes a massive explosion that still sends them flying._

_Mahiru runs to them to try to help but only gets about a couple of feet when something bites into her ankles and wrists. Mahiru looks down to see that she is bound to the ground with metal shackles. _

_When she looks up again Mitsuru is there, the other three having acted as a distraction. Mitsuru uses his claws to break through the chains and wraps his arms around her in a tight embrace._

"_Your time has come to an end," Hokuto says. Mahiru and Mitsuru turn to see Mutsura facing them with a sadistic smile and an arrow cocked in his bow aiming at Mahiru. Mutsura releases the bowstring, the twang of the string echoing throughout the warehouse, and the arrow is released into the air. Mahiru screams and closes her eyes waiting for the pain. But the pain never comes. She hears the sickening sound of the arrow piercing through flesh, tendon, and muscle, but it is not her body that was destroyed. Mahiru opens her eyes to see Mitsuru fall to his knees in front of her. She catches him by the shoulders and helps to lie him down on the ground._

_Sticking out of Mitsuru's chest is an arrow, blood streaming out alarmingly fast, and his transformation fades until he is back in his human form._

_Mahiru presses her hands on the wound careful not to touch the arrow. She isn't sure if taking the arrow out would help or only make things worse. "What do I do? Mitsuru, what do I do?" Tears stream down Mahiru's cheeks as fast as the blood is flowing out of Mitsuru, taking his life with every crimson drop. Mitsuru tries to say something, but it's hard because blood has entered his lungs, choking him. Mahiru leans down and puts her ear next to his mouth._

_He whispers, "I love you."_

_And then he is gone._

Mahiru wakes with Mitsuru's name ripping through her throat in a deafening wail. Over and over she screams his name, only a small part of her really aware that what she saw was a dream and she is now awake. She flails about, tears flowing down her face, trying to escape the horror of what she saw, but something gets tangled around her arms and legs. It's her blankets, but she thinks it's the shackles and struggles even more. There is the sound of a door opening and voices saying her name but none of this reaches her. Suddenly, the bindings are gone, replaced with arms wrapping securely around her. Familiar arms. A familiar presence. A familiar voice in her ear.

"Shhh," Mitsuru says. "It's alright, I'm here. I've got you." He pulls Mahiru into his lap and gently rocks her back and forth while rubbing soothing circles into her back. "Come on, Mahiru, come back to me."

Mahiru looks up and sees Mitsuru's face swimming before her tearful eyes. She's no longer in the warehouse but back at the Moonshine. Mitsuru is not dead.

"Mitsuru," she chokes out with a sob while reaching up to wrap her arms around Mitsuru's neck and burying her head against his chest.

"Mahiru…." Mitsuru holds her closer and kisses the top of her head. "What happened? Why were you screaming? Was it Dawn's Venus?"

Mahiru's voice is muffled by Mitsuru's shirt so he pulls her away. He stares into her puffy blue eyes as she says, "I-I s-saw you d-die." Everyone's eyes widen and Akira whimpers. "Ever since Dawn's Venus almost kidnapped me I've been having the same dream," Mahiru's eyes fly to the clock to check, "at exactly 5:31 every night. At first, it was just disjointed images and I just had a feeling of someone dying, but this time I actually saw who it was." Mahiru's lips begin to tremble. "It's not going to really happen, is it?"

"No, of course not." Mitsuru says as he wipes her tears away with his thumb. However, even as he says the words he gets the feeling that they are really a lie.

"What did you see?" Misoka asks, his eyes calculating behind his glasses, and Mitsuru knows he's thinking the same thing.

Mahiru tries to sit up a little and blushes a bright shade of red, realizing she's sitting in Mitsuru's lap. She tries to move away but Mitsuru's arms wrap around her more tightly. She sees a familiar scowl on his face and decides to stay put. "E-each time I see it, it becomes clearer. I'm in a warehouse, chained to the floor, and you guys are fighting Dawn's Venus. Then Mitsuru comes to free me, but they see us. Mutsura fires an arrow, aiming at me, but…," Mahiru takes in a shuddering breath, "M-Mitsuru shields me and the arrow hits him instead, killing him." Mahiru's blush deepens as she remembers Mitsuru's last words in the dream but decides to keep it to herself.

"Is it during the day or at night?"

"At night. I remember seeing the moon in a black sky. A waning crescent moon."

"Hmm…." Misoka contemplates everything Mahiru said. If she were a normal human, her repetitive dreams could still be thought of as just that: dreams. But Mahiru is not just a normal human, she is the Descendent of the Princess with powers none of them may ever fully understand. She could be capable of just about anything, including precognitive dreams. Misoka glances over at Mitsuru. Mitsuru is glaring right back and slowly shakes his head. Misoka sighs. "It's probably just a nightmare created in the aftermath of your kidnapping and the incident with your friend Himura, especially since she hasn't woken up yet since we found her. Your anxiety is simply seeping into your subconscious. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Mahiru sighs in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Well, Princess, I think we shall take our leave now. Try to get some more sleep." Misoka, Akira, and Nozomu leave Mahiru's bedroom. Mitsuru puts Mahiru back on the bed and gets up to leave too, but Mahiru grabs his arm.

"Mitsuru, can you stay for a minute? Please?" He sighs and sits on her bed again wordlessly, surprising Mahiru for he would normally put up a fight. "Mitsuru, I want you to promise me something." He looks at her warily, his eyes narrowed. "If…if something like this ever does happen, please, promise me you won't ever do something that will get yourself killed because of me."

Mitsuru looks at her for a long moment and shakes his head. "I'm not going to make a promise I might not be able to keep."

"But this promise should be easy to keep. You wanted me dead when we first met, remember?" Mahiru smiles a little but her smile fades when Mitsuru's hand comes up to stroke her cheek.

"I was a fool then, but now I know that if you were ever to die, I would die, too. So if I have to give up my life to protect you, I will."

Mahiru opens her mouth to say something but is stopped when Mitsuru's lips crash into hers. Mahiru's eyes widen, but then they soften and close. Her arms snake around Mitsuru's neck, her fingers weaving themselves in his hair. Mitsuru pulls her into is lap again and holds her as close as two bodies can be. Their lips move together slowly at first, getting a taste of each other, but then move more hungrily, passionately, as if this kiss has been held off for far too long. They only stop when they remember the need for air. Their foreheads rest together as they breathe in each other's breaths.

Mitsuru is the first to speak, "I love you, Mahiru."

"I love you, too." She looks into his brown eyes, eyes so much like the horned demon's from her dream of the Minister of the Left's Princess. Being like this with Mitsuru now reminds Mahiru of how she would see the demon and the princess and she can't help but wonder if those two were really in love, despite what everyone else believes. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Mitsuru answers by pulling Mahiru down to lay on the bed with him and pulls the blankets over top of them. Mitsuru is unsure of what to do, not used to wanting to be so close to someone, but as Mahiru snuggles closer to him instincts he didn't even know he had kick in. His arm wraps itself around her waist and Mahiru eases closer into his side with her head resting on his shoulder so she can hear his heartbeat. Her arm lies across his chest and Mitsuru entwines his fingers with hers. As they drift off to sleep nothing else exists in the world but each other.


End file.
